New Gallup poll says U.S. 'pro-choice' position at record low

A new telephone poll has found that the number of Americans who identify themselves as being "pro-choice" has reached a record low.

Chris Campbell

According to a recent poll conducted by Gallup, 41 percent of Americans now identify themselves as "pro-choice." This figure is down from last July's 47 percent. The previous low noted by Gallup was in May 2009.

This latest survey also said 50 percent of Americans polled identified themselves as being "pro-life."

"For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points," Gallup wrote.

Gallup said these results are based upon telephone interviews conducted from May 3-6 with a random sample of 1,024 individuals aged 18 and older. Interviewees came from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Calls were made to landline and cellphones, and the survey included interviews conducted in Spanish.

Gallup said they began polling the question "With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life?" in 1995.

The Washington Times reported that in Gallup's first survey with regard to this question, 56 percent of respondents at that time said they were pro-choice, and 33 percent of those surveyed identified themselves as pro-life.

What do pro-choice and pro-life groups think about the latest Gallup results? CNN reports:

"I think medical technology has a lot to do with it," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, a Washington-based anti-abortion organization. "People are seeing ultrasound images of their unborn babies and it's changing perceptions."

"The survey shows Americans still strongly support keeping abortion safe and legal," said Ted Miller, a spokesman for NARAL Pro-Choice America. "Pro-choice victories on ballot measures in states like Mississippi and South Dakota in the last few years, combined with the backlash against recent attacks on women's reproductive rights, are a clear sign that voters want to protect a woman's right to choose."

The polling agency noted it plans to explore the abortion issue in "greater depth" in 2012, looking at trends by gender, age and other demographic variables.